The Strain

Book One of the Strain Trilogy

By: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

Narrated by: Ron Perlman

The high-concept thriller with a supernatural edge from the world-famous director, whose films include Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy.

A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously ‘goes dark’, stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised.

When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it quickly becomes clear that everyone on board is dead – although there is no sign of any trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange occurrence before panic spreads.

The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that’s the only good news. And when all two hundred corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity.

Perfect for fans of Dean Koontz’s The Eyes of Darkness

©2009 HarperCollins Publishers (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

‘The first in a trilogy that soars with spellbinding intrigue.Truly, an unforgettable tale you can’t put down once you read the first page. I can’t wait until the next one.’ Clive Cussler

‘Blood and apocalypse mix in a terrifying story that feels like it was ripped from today's headlines. Vividly wrought and relentlessly paced, THE STRAIN haunts as much as it terrifies. I cannot wait to see where Del Toro and Hogan take us next.’ James Rollins

‘A rattling piece of escapism’ The Times

‘An entertaining mix of action blockbuster and vampire myth … with Del Toro’s talent for creating fantastical, macabre characters shining through … an exciting page-turner’ Metro

‘Del Toro and Hogan succeed in constructing a driving plot and delivering a gripping conclusion. Great characters … and a flair for striking scenes get this trilogy off to a first-rate start. Kirkus Reviews

Uninspired

As much as I love Perlman, not even he could keep me focused. The most exciting (and annoying) thing was the constant dun dun duuuun sound. The story was a mashup of other stories - so much so that I kept wondering if I had heard/read it before. But no, just a very uninspired book

mediocre

With the names involved, I thought this would be much better than it was. It was a let down, especially Pearlman's narration (which I had expected to enjoy). The musical interludes were also very irritating.

excellent, scary and enjoyable

i really enjoyed this. the story was novel and gripping. the narrator was excellent, conveyed the different voices very well. i look forward to the rest of the series. one of my best downloads ever!

A gripping, heartwrenching thriller

The most horrifying outbreak-story I've ever come across. The gripping, suspensefilled, science-y beginning and middle gets changed for more of a common action-y tone by the end though. I'm hoping it'll find back for the next sequels but I'm not counting on it frankly.

The narration is quite good. Ron Perlman doesn't have a big range of voices but the one he has is very pleasant to listen to.

Great vampire story

I liked this one, no pretty vampires suffering from existential crisis, just disgusting evil things. It has a lot of atmosphere and I will get the sequel when it comes. It owes a lot to Dracula of course but so do most stories in that genre. Ron Pearlman does a good job. Feels like watching a scary vampire movie.

Good, but stretched

Interesting characters and plot, however the story became quite repetitive in parts and plodded along a little too slowly for my liking. There is definite potential.

Great Adventure Story

Very enjoyable and well narrated